Portable communications receivers, such as radios, cellular and cordless telephones, pagers and the like, are becoming increasingly popular. In many instances it is desirable to provide a visual display on the receiver to supply the operator with a visual message. The problem is that visual displays require relatively high electrical power and require a great amount of area to be sufficiently large to produce a useful display.
In the prior art, for example, it is common to provide visual displays utilizing liquid crystal displays, directly viewed light emitting diodes, etc. These produce very large and cumbersome displays that greatly increase the size of the receiver and require relatively large amounts of power.
In one instance, the prior art includes a scanning mirror to produce a visual display but again this requires relatively large amounts of power and is very complicated and sensitive to shock. Also, the scanning mirror causes vibration in the unit which substantially reduces visual comfort and acceptability.